COMMUNITY

Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge and section of trail to temporarily close for restoration

The Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge and a section of nearby trail will be closed for two days starting Nov. 16 as crews remove invasive plants, apply an herbicide and do routine maintenance. 

The section of trail closing is just south of the bridge, in the Minto Island Conservation Area. 

The Himalayan blackberry and reed canary grass pose the biggest issue, covering over 75% of the trail buffer when the project began, according to Trevor Smith, a city spokesman.

The routine bridge maintenance includes checking lights and cleaning.

Signs warning of the closure have been posted in Riverfront Park and Minto-Brown Island Park, according to a Facebook post by the city.

The project is funded the the city’s stewardship account for the Minto Island Conservation Area. This year’s budget for site preparation, seeding and planting is about $60,000, according to Smith.

This is the second phase of trail restoration at the park, following up on the removal of non-native and invasive vegetation in mid-September. A future phase will involve planting native vegetation.

The scheduled closure is part of the 2016 Minto Island Conservation Management Plan, according to the September press release by the city. The project’s restoration goals include protecting the conservation area and enhancing native habitat.

Map of Nov. 16 closure (Courtesy / City of Salem)

Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-704-0355.

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Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.

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